1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of conveyor technology and concerns a conveying apparatus including a plurality of conveying vehicles that can be moved along a movement path independently of one another for conveying piece goods, having contact elements for producing a guiding contact with entrainment means. In addition, the conveying apparatus includes a processing device for performing a processing step on the piece goods as well as an entraining device with a plurality of entrainment means that can be moved along a movement path by an entraining drive. In the conveying direction, the processing device realizes an inlet region, a processing region and an outlet region.
2. Description of Related Art
Conveying devices with rail-guided conveying vehicles, which are guided independently of one another along guide rails rollers or sliding elements, are known in the art. These types of conveying devices are developed, for example, as gravity conveyors. In the case of such devices, the conveying vehicles are moved by an entrainment means to a higher potential level, from where they are moved by the force of gravity along the guide rails in the direction of a lower potential level. The term “potential level” relates to the potential energy of the conveying vehicles in the gravitational field.
The conveying path or the guide rail includes an ascent in a corresponding manner when conveying from a lower to a higher potential level. The conveying path or the guide rail comprises a descent in a corresponding manner when conveying from a higher to a lower potential level.
Holding bodies, which receive and hold the piece goods to be conveyed, are in each case coupled to the conveying vehicles. The piece goods are thus conveyed by the conveying vehicles along a conveying section that is predetermined by the guide rail.
The advantage of the named conveying devices is that the conveying vehicles can be moved individually, i.e. independently of one another, along a conveying section. This allows, for example, conveying vehicles filled with piece goods to be buffered along the conveying section.
EP 0856 480 B1 describes a conveying device having a plurality of rail-guided conveying vehicles. The conveying vehicles include rollers. The basic body of the conveying vehicle includes two limbs. Two rollers, which are arranged offset diagonally opposite, are fastened on each of the sides of the vehicle limbs associated with one another. The rollers are arranged mutually spaced apart in the running direction of the vehicles limbs such that a flat guide rail can be located between the rollers. The rollers roll along the two flat sides of the running rail that are located opposite one another.
EP 1 169 249 B1 describes a method and a device for conveying piece goods. The piece goods are loaded on holding means, are conveyed held by the holding means and are unloaded again from the holding means. For loading or unloading the holding means, the piece goods are pushed into the holding means or out of the holding means transversely with respect to the conveying direction. The pushing movement is effected parallel to the longitudinal axis of the piece goods by an object guiding means.
Processing steps, which require guided movement of the conveying vehicles, are often carried out along the conveying section of a conveying apparatus. Such a processing step, for example, is the discharging of the piece goods to a receiving device. Consequently, the conveying vehicles have to be supplied to the discharging device in a guided and spaced apart manner. Controlled discharging of the piece goods from the conveying vehicles to the receiving device is only possible in this way.